TUBERCULINE Meaning and
Definition
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Tuberculine is a substance derived from the tubercle bacillus, a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is mainly composed of antigens obtained from this bacterium and is used in medical and diagnostic procedures related to tuberculosis (TB) infection.
The primary purpose of tuberculine is to test for tuberculosis infection using a technique called the tuberculin skin test, also known as the Mantoux test. In this test, a small amount of tuberculine is injected into the skin, usually on the forearm, causing a mild immune response. If an individual has been exposed to the tubercle bacillus before, the immune system recognizes the antigens in the tuberculine and produces a characteristic reaction at the test site.
Interpreting the results of the tuberculin skin test requires careful evaluation of the size and appearance of the immune response. A positive result indicates exposure to TB, but it does not necessarily mean that the person has active TB disease. Further testing, such as chest x-rays and sputum samples, is often necessary to confirm the presence of active TB infection.
Although tuberculine is mostly used for diagnostic purposes, it can also be employed therapeutically. In some cases, immunotherapy involving injections of tuberculine can be administered to individuals with latent tuberculosis infections to boost their immune response against the pathogen and reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis.
Overall, tuberculine is an important tool in tuberculosis diagnosis and management, as it helps healthcare professionals identify individuals who have been exposed to the tuberculosis bacterium and require further evaluation or treatment.
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A ptomaine derived from cultures of the tubercle bacillus.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for TUBERCULINE
- ttuberculin
- ruberculine
- fuberculine
- guberculine
- yuberculine
- 6uberculine
- 5uberculine
- tyberculine
- thberculine
- tjberculine
- tiberculine
- t8berculine
- t7berculine
- tuverculine
- tunerculine
- tuherculine
- tugerculine
- tubwrculine
- tubsrculine
- tubdrculine
Etymology of TUBERCULINE
The word "tuberculine" is derived from the noun "tuberculin", which in turn comes from the word "tubercle".
The term "tuberculin" was first coined by the German physician Robert Koch in 1890. Koch was conducting research on tuberculosis (a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs) and was trying to find a substance that could be used to diagnose the disease and test individuals for their immune response to it.
Koch derived the term "tuberculin" by adding the suffix "-in" to the word "tubercle", which refers to the characteristic small nodules or lesions that form in the body as a result of tuberculosis infection. Thus, "tuberculin" literally means "related to or derived from tubercles".
